Will FM 09 include Premiership matches played abroad? Should it?

Huge area of debate here, guys

Personally, I think it is a good idea that PL games are going to be played abroad. A way to generate more revenue, fans and interest in English football.

So, can you see Derby, well not my beloved Rams cos we're down but say, Watford taking their brand of Route 1 to Singapore to play Wigan in FM 09?

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm...

Huge area of debate here, guys

Personally, I think it is a good idea that PL games are going to be played abroad. A way to generate more revenue, fans and interest in English football.

So, can you see Derby, well not my beloved Rams cos we're down but say, Watford taking their brand of Route 1 to Singapore to play Wigan in FM 09?

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm...

The EPL has agreed it in theory but I believe the FA and FIFA still have to approve it. I think it'll die.

If the games are given the go ahead, and the plans are confirmed when it will definetley start, then it will be included.

At the moment though, it's still far from this stage so we can only guess whether it will be included.

If it goes ahead, which is by no means certain, then of course SI would have to include it in future games. I would suggest though that it wouldn't be included until it starts in real life, so Fm 2011 perhaps.

I don't like the idea of whoring out football, its like real fans don't matter anymore, I'd be calling for a boycot of EPL games until the idea is scrapped...FAN POWER!!. Teams should not be playing in places where so few of their fans can watch them.

if this harlem globtroters idea goes through, it'll be a sad day for english football...

but it should be in FM09, of course becouse that'll be real life situation.

What would be good would be if say, it didn't go through before the 2009 season and then as you progress through seasons, the idea gets introduced. One day, you recieve a message of 'FA Chief Exec Richard Scudamore today announced to gathering journalists that the EPL will indeed go global'. More interaction with the FA in the game would be good.

Well it hasnt even been confirmed that it is definately going to happen, so need for it to be in the patch. Wont be a feature until FM10 at earliest if it is ever agreed.

I heard something about the number of subs being increased to 7 from next year. Is this right?

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by neilb242:

I heard something about the number of subs being increased to 7 from next year. Is this right? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

that's a good thing, I think.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by PatsyP:

What would be good would be if say, it didn't go through before the 2009 season and then as you progress through seasons, the idea gets introduced. One day, you recieve a message of 'FA Chief Exec Richard Scudamore today announced to gathering journalists that the EPL will indeed go global'. More interaction with the FA in the game would be good. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

are you sugesting that game should make up things, so we can interact with them. I hope not.

No I'm saying it would be good if clubs and managers, along with chairman could have more feedback on matters like this.

*From the FA

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Mitja:

if this harlem globtroters idea goes through, it'll be a sad day for english football...

but it should be in FM09, of course becouse that'll be real life situation. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Here in the US, we've already seen a regular season NFL game played at Wembley, major league baseball played in Tokyo, and next season we'll see regular season NHL hockey played in Sweden. From a business standpoint, it makes sense in "extending the brand", and I'm sure that's what the EPL is thinking.

I saw the Yankees open in Japan two years ago, and it really got them off to a poor start. Some of the players just weren't comfortable in a foreign milieu, and it took quite a while for them to get going again. The NY Giants didn't seem to suffer much from the London trip, but then the NFL only plays once a week.

So, yes, the fans get the short end of the stick with this. But if it does happen, it should be reflected in FM.

I know that you in U.S look at sports totaly different as we in europe. but that idea's just realy bad.

so are for or against it?

I agree with you.

All the press in the UK are taking the moral high ground, saying it takes away football from the real fanbase. It's ONE games FFS.

It worked with the NFL - it doesn't tire out players - the Giants romped to the Superbowl. some say it kick-started their season.

More fans - more money - more transfer funds - greater success in Europe for English clubs - more money - bigger stadiums - wider fanbase.

MORE PEOPLE PLAYING FOOTBALL MANAGER.

Im not so concerned with the games played overseas- what worries me more is how such a decision affects the integrity of the competition.

I can just see some poor promoted side having to play Man Utd three times in the league season instead of twice and getting relegated because of it (due to its direct relegation rival playing a much easier side in the extra round and winning), whilst in a normal 38 game season it would of survived. But then again whats particularly unusual about the big four getting favoured...

as far as I'm concerned it didn't work for english national side, after "footballers" made tilled ground out of webley pitch, when you lost against us

in my opinoum this metter is more aboout tradition, culture on one side and money on other side.

sthptngomad76 - completely agree with you on that point.

Therefore, I think the Premiership should continue to pursue the system by which teams play each other twice, like they do at the moment.

Giving up 1 game a season shouldn't upset fans too much. Plus, these overseas games will be all played on the same weekend, therefore 10 games will be on TV in 1 weekend. Hopefully, the Beeb can get there hands on them too.

How good will 10 games broadcast back to the UK from alll around the world be?

I think the summer tour thing is the way to go. Leave the competitive stuff in England.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Mitja:

I know that you in U.S look at sports totaly different as we in europe. but that idea's just realy bad.

so are for or against it? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I don't know that the view of sport in the US is all that different from what it is in Europe. The "frontrunner" fan is probably more common in the US than in Europe, and US fans probably are more open to the idea of their teams bringing in players who formerly played for a fierce rival. The other difference, I think, is that European fans (or, at least English fans) seem to believe they have a permanent stake in their favorite club simply because they are fans - US fans would rarely assert that.

However, I think that club owners are exactly the same, wherever they are - they are looking to maximize all possible revenues, and developing a foreign fan base is one way of doing that. So, US fans tend to view this type of decision as inevitable.

Taking a home match away and playing it someplace else sells the team short and sells the fans short.

I can't even believe they think about moving competitive matches in such shape abroad...well actualy I do...how much money PL will get?